Harriet Kavanagh
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Lady Harriet Kavanagh |
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|---|---|
| Born | 13 October 1799 |
| Died | 14 July 1885 (aged 85) Ballyragget Lodge, County Kilkenny |
| Resting place | St Mullin's Abbey, Borris |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Known for | travelling and Egyptology collections |
| Parent(s) | Richard Le Poer Trench, Henrietta Margaret Staples |
Lady Harriet Kavanagh (13 October 1799 – 14 July 1885) was an Irish artist, traveller, and antiquarian, described as a "woman of high culture and of unusual artistic power." She is thought to be the Irish female traveller to Egypt.
Harriet Kavanagh was born Lady Harriet Margaret Le Poer Trench on 13 October 1799. She was the second daughter of Richard Le Poer Trench and Henrietta Margaret Le Poer Trench (née Staples), with three brothers and three sisters. She married Thomas Kavanagh of Borris House, County Carlow on 28 February 1825, as his second wife. The couple had four children, three sons Charles, Thomas, Arthur, and one daughter, Harriet or "Hoddy."
Her third son, Arthur MacMorrough Kavanagh, was born without fully formed limbs. Some attributed the disability to a peasant’s curse, whilst others have speculated it was due to Lady Kavanagh taking laudanum during her pregnancy. Kavanagh refused to treat her son differently to his siblings, and with the help of local doctor Francis Boxwell, raised him as a normal child. During his initial education, Kavanagh taught Arthur herself, teaching him to paint and then write by holding brushes and pens in his mouth. With the help of the surgeon Sir Philip Crampton, she has a mechanical wheelchair constructed for Arthur, and also encouraged him to ride horses and engage in other outdoor activities. Kavanagh's husband died after 12 years of marriage, in 1837.
In 1846, Kavanagh took her children to learn French in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, later travelling to Rome. As an antiquarian, Kavanagh also wanted to visit Egypt and the Holy Land, setting off on the long journey from Marseilles in October 1846. Accompanying her were her daughter, Harriet, her two sons, Thomas and Arthur, and their tutor, the Rev. David Wood. In Cairo, she hired two feluccas with Arab crews, and visited archaeological sites along the Nile, such as Thebes, Karnak, and the Nubia region. From there, Kavanagh visited sites of biblical interest, including Tyre, Sidon, and Rhoda Island. She negotiated with Bedouin chiefs in Aqaba, hiring camels and Bedouin guides to travel to Hebron. Whilst in Cairo, Kavanagh became acquainted with a number of fellow Europeans, including Sir Charles Augustus Murray, Sophia Lane Poole, and Edward William Lane. Harriet Martineau travelled with the party from Cairo to the Holy Land.
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